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t talented women. She has served in this capacity since May 2018. Ms. Mangan currently serves on the board of Wag! (Nasdaq: PET), a technology platform that supports pet care, and ChowNow, an online f
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Papa John's Franchising
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Papa John's is controlled at the corporate level, with Chief Digital and Technology Officer Kevin Vasconi overseeing the brand's mandated technology ecosystem. The franchisor requires franchisees to adopt a suite of designated and proprietary systems, including HotSchedules and a proprietary online ordering platform. The addressable unit count is not disclosed in the most recent FDD, but the system's average unit volume of $1,097,987 signals a substantial per-location software spend opportunity.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
—
system-wide
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.10M
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
6%
national + local
Initial fee
$5K
per unit
Investment range
$281K–$890K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
11%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
FacebookMeta
promotions that gift customers free items. As used in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, In
HotSchedulesFourth
Company Safety & Security – Owned Restaurant 1.50 hours 6.09 hours Advanced Curriculum (Certified as a Training Store) Technology (Accessing Approved Company HotSchedules, SMG, Owned Restaurant 4.56 h
InstagramMeta
ft customers free items. As used in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin,
LinkedInLinkedIn
s free items. As used in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat,
SnapchatSnapchat
ms. As used in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, TikTok, an
TikTokTikTok
d in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, TikTok, and other fo
TwitterX
s that gift customers free items. As used in the Franchise Agreement and this Disclosure Document, the term "advertising" also includes Websites and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 7 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have the right at all times to independently access the Information System and to retrieve, analyze, download and use the Designated Software and all software, data and files stored or used on it.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Required monthly reports (or more frequent as required by us) will continue to be provided in the format we approve until we advise in writing otherwise.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
PJ USA is currently the only approved supplier of the Information System and certain related services described in Items 6 and 11 and will also sell or license the Designated Software, all as further described in Item 11.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
The By-Laws of the Marketing Fund currently provide for 4 directors, 2 of whom we appoint and 2 of whom are elected by the Franchise Advisory Council, a council representing our franchisees, whose members are elected by franchisees.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to require you to purchase from PJ Food Service, or other sources we designate, additional or other items, and we or our affiliates may derive revenue from such purchases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In 2025 we or our affiliates received $5.9 million from designated suppliers because of their transactions with our franchisees and with us.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
79Item 8
All of the required purchases that you must obtain from approved suppliers or in accordance with specifications and standards represent up to 86% of your total purchases in connection with the establishment of a Restaurant and approximately 79% of your overall purchases in operating a Restaurant.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We may charge you or the supplier an amount not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection and the actual cost of the tests.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to purchase any products from a supplier other than an approved or designated supplier, you must submit to us a written request for approval of such supplier or must request the supplier itself to do so.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
You acknowledge that, as between us and you, we have the sole right to and interest in all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with the Restaurants or the Marks.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to abide by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards enacted by the applicable Card Associations, applicable to your business.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
An agent, officer or employee of ours may make inspections of the Restaurant to ensure compliance with all required standards, specifications and procedures of the System, this Agreement and the Manuals.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We may, from time to time, revise the contents of the Manuals.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Each site must be approved.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
Standard, Small‑Town, and Non‑Traditional Restaurants are each required to spend a minimum of $10,000 on grand‑opening advertising, marketing, and promotional efforts.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If a Cooperative has been established applicable to the Restaurant at the time you commence operations, you immediately become a non-voting member of such Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We presently require that you purchase pizza dough and pizza sauce only from our affiliate PJ Food Service.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
PJFS is currently the only designated supplier of dough and Papa John's proprietary pizza sauce for use by Papa John's restaurants and you must purchase dough and pizza sauce from PJFS or a designated representative unless and until such time as a successor supplier of dough and/or pizza sauce is designated.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Before opening, you must sign and deliver to us and your bank all required documents, including the authorization form attached as Exhibit F that permit us to debit your bank account (by check, electronic funds transfer or via the Information System or other means) for each Period's Royalty, Digital Fee, Marketing…
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You are also required to participate in the Papa Card program administered by Papa Card, Inc., except that Non-Traditional Restaurants are generally not required to accept payment via Papa Cards.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Management responsibility includes presence of the Principal Operator or a manager at the Restaurant during all business hours;
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
employee uniform requirements and specifications
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
Use of the designated proprietary Information System is mandatory for all standard Papa Johns Restaurants and Small-Town Restaurants.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have the right at all times to independently access the Information System and to retrieve, analyze, download and use the Designated Software and all software, data and files stored or used on it.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
we reserve the right to require that such Principal Operator or employee(s) be retrained, or that another person be trained and perform the functions of the category of employee for which the training was offered.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
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- Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.
The vendor opportunity at Papa John's
Papa John's is a quick-service restaurant franchise headquartered in Kentucky. The brand's average unit volume reaches $1,097,987, placing it among higher-grossing pizza concepts. For software vendors, that AUV suggests franchisees have the operating cash flow to invest in tools that improve efficiency, delivery logistics, or customer engagement. The total number of US units—both franchised and company-owned—is not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, so the precise addressable market remains unclear. Still, the franchisor's centralized technology mandates mean a single HQ relationship can unlock system-wide adoption.
The royalty rate is 5% of gross sales, and the initial franchise term runs 10 years. Year-over-year unit growth figures are not available in the current disclosure. Vendors should note that the absence of a disclosed parent company suggests Papa John's operates independently, without a larger corporate structure influencing procurement decisions.
Who controls software purchasing
Technology purchasing authority sits at the corporate level. Kevin Vasconi serves as Chief Digital and Technology Officer, making him the most relevant executive for software vendors to engage. The FDD lists seven mandated technology categories, all of which require franchisee adoption. This top-down control model means vendors do not need to sell location by location; instead, they must convince the HQ technology leadership that their solution aligns with the brand's operational and digital strategy.
Other C-suite executives on file include CEO and President Todd Penegor, CFO and President of North America Ravi Thanawala, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Excellence Officer Kurt Milburn, and Chief Administrative Officer Caroline M. Oyler. While Vasconi is the primary technology buyer, supply chain and operations leaders may influence procurement for systems touching inventory, logistics, or store-level execution.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD itemizes several mandatory technology systems. HotSchedules is the named workforce management platform, handling scheduling and labor compliance. The brand also mandates an Online Ordering System, described as proprietary, which likely integrates tightly with the point-of-sale and customer-facing digital channels. Papa Card and Papa Rewards are proprietary loyalty and stored-value programs that franchisees must support.
Beyond these named systems, the FDD references broader categories: Designated Software, Information System, Packaged Software, and Proprietary Programs. The specific vendors behind these categories are not named in the disclosure, but the language indicates the franchisor reserves the right to designate or approve software in these areas. For vendors selling POS, delivery management, inventory, or analytics, understanding which of these categories your product falls into is critical—if the franchisor already has a designated solution, you are either displacing an incumbent or filling an unaddressed gap.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract detailing procurement rules. Without that signal, it is unclear whether Papa John's operates a designated-supplier model, an approved-supplier program, or a more open procurement environment. Vendors should investigate directly whether the franchisor controls hardware and software purchasing through specified vendors or allows franchisees discretion within brand standards.
Renewal conditions offer insight into potential software evaluation windows. Franchise agreements run 10 years. To renew, franchisees must provide written notice, remodel or re-equip the restaurant, achieve full compliance with all agreements, sign the then-current form of franchise agreement, secure an approved location, pay a renewal fee, sign a general release, and ensure the principal operator and managers complete training. Critically, the renewal agreement may contain materially different terms from the original contract. This clause creates a natural inflection point where the franchisor could introduce new technology mandates or upgrade requirements. Vendors should monitor renewal cycles and any updates to the standard franchise agreement for signals of upcoming tech stack changes.
How to read the Papa John's FDD
The Papa John's Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Filed with state franchise regulators in 2026, it contains the legal and operational disclosures that govern the franchise system. For software vendors, the most relevant sections are Item 11 (franchisor's assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training), which lists mandated technology, and Item 17 (renewal, termination, transfer, and dispute resolution), which outlines contract cycles. Item 8 may clarify procurement restrictions if included in future filings. Review these sections to understand where your software fits within the brand's existing mandates and where openings may exist.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Papa John's Franchising, answered from the filing
Chief Digital and Technology Officer Kevin Vasconi leads technology decisions. The FDD mandates multiple software categories, indicating centralized control over the tech stack.
The FDD mandates HotSchedules, a proprietary Online Ordering System, Papa Card, Papa Rewards, and several categories labeled Designated Software, Information System, Packaged Software, and Proprietary Programs.
The total US unit count, including franchised and company-owned locations, is not disclosed in the 2026 FDD.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract specifying designated or approved supplier requirements. The procurement model is not disclosed in the available data.
Franchise agreements run 10 years. Renewal requires written notice, remodel, compliance, a new agreement, and a release. Renewal terms may differ materially, creating potential re-evaluation points for software vendors.
The Papa John's FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. You can review it using the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
6 operators run 6 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit6
Ownership
The portfolio behind Papa John's Franchising
single_brand_holdco of Papa John's.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.